Display-easel.



J. E. TWITGHELL.

DISPLAY BASEL.

-- APPLICATION rum) 12.15.1905.

PA'IENTED AUG. 4, 190a.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. TWITCHELL, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGXOR, BY MESXEASSIGXMENTS, TO J. B.

TIMBERLAKE it SONS, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

DISPLAY-EASEL.

Patented Aug. 4, 1908;

Application filed March 15, 1905. Serial No. 250,215.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jauns E. TWITCIIELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of \Vayne and State of .\Iichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Displa vEasels, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to stands or sup- )orts for'dishes and other articles, particularly and of the class referred to as display easels and largely used for exhibition purposes.

It has for its ob ect to provide an article of this class which can have its parts so adjustedas that it can be used for displayin or supporting either of several styles of artic es, or either ofseveral articles differing from each other in size.

In the drawings:Fi ure 1 is :1 perspective of an easel, the ho der embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a side view with the parts in one extreme position of adjustment. Fig. 3 is a side view with the arts at the other extreme of adjustment. 11 Figs. 2 and 3 the plates supported by the easel are represented in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a side view showing in full lines the parts in an intermediate adjustment and in dotted lines in its extreme positions.

The article which I have selected for illustration in the drawings is composed of two )rincipal elements, one being siutated at the lront and the other at the rear, the former being intended to engage with the lower front part of a dish or similar article and the latter to engage with and support the back or up- )er part. One of these elements is indicated by .'\,-it being of U-shape and having vertical legs a, a, a connecting cross loop a at the top and feet a at the lower ends of the leg parts. This rear or back supporting element can be formed of a single piece of wire bent into a U-shapc, or approximate U-shape. as shown. The feet are provided by forming eyes or loops a at the lower ends of the wire and by preference a bend is formed in each leg at u. so as to provide short arms (1 The forward element of the device is indicated by B. It has two side bars or arms I), b. and at the front end, a cross connection 0 consistim preferably of two downwardly extending bends c and an upwardly curved l the easel, upon which the article to be discross bar or arm 0 connecting the downwardly bent parts.

At the rear elongated connecting devices C are provided for oining the front element to the rear. Preferably these are formed b making several helical bends, twists or coi s in the end parts of the side bars b. These connecting devices loosely encircle the legs a of the rear or back supporting element of the device. By having elongated joining devices of this character I provide parts which act as a lock or gripper to hold the two elements firmly in either of the several positions of adjustment to which they can be moved. Thus in Fig. 2 they are shown with the front element in its lowest adjustment, connecting devices at C at this time being at the lower ends of the legs a and bearing upon the bent short arms a 'hcn they are in such position a heav article, or one of large diameter, can be placed on the easel .and firmly sup )orted. For instance, a large plate or (llSl canbe securely held, its front end being placed and bearing against the loop part c of the front element of the easel, while the back of the dish rests against the loo part a of the rear element.

f it is desired to use the holder or easel to support a smaller or lighter article the parts are put into the position shown in Fig. 3, the joining devices at C being readily slipped up to the upper position, and because of their being elongated they engage with the legs a, a, at two remote points and provide a strong grip that prevents either element from slipping as to the other. Similarly, other articles differing in size, shape or weight from those referred to can be supported when the parts of the easel are adjusted to any of the intermediate positions, such as shown in Fi 4.

twill be seen that when the two elements of the device are in any position above that shown in Fig. 2 the lines of the side bars b, b, and of the vertical legs a, a, are inclined to the horizontal in such way that whatever weight is being supported upon the easel tends to spread or separate the front feet from the rear ones and this causes the connecting devices 0 to firmly engage frietionally with the legs a and lock the parts of the easel together.

It will be seen that the front element of played rests and by which it is prevented from sliding forward, is adjustable from one i position of inclination relative to the horithe'parts of the easel are indicated the positiozs indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 in dotted lines. and an intermediate position in full lines. The positions which the elements assume and in which they are maintained depend upon the positions to which the connecting devices C are'adjustcd along the bars or legs of the rear element; and when the parts C are moved upward the upper or article-supporting end of the rear element is brought forward relative to the front element. thereby changing the inclination at which the article is held. The two elements of the easel are also vertically adjustable, the rear element being higher in the position indicated in Fig. 2 than his when in either of the positions represented in Fig. 3 or\4, its bearing point or resting surface for the article being correspondingly raised. The

front element is higher in Fig. 3 than it is in either Fig. 2 or 4.

hat I ciainl is l. A display ease] for an article like a plate having a front element upon which the lower edge of the article rests and a rear element agai st which the rear surface of the article bears, the front element being atthe rear adjustable vertically to either of several positions on the rear element, substantially as set forth.

.2. A display easel having a front element. arranged to be adjusted vertically and formed with devices for receiving the lower edge of the article and preventing it from slippnzg. and a rear element arranged also to be adjusted from one position to another vertically and to contact at its upper end with the upper portion of the article and support thesame, and united by a slidiiig connection to the front element, the-sliding connection being movable vertically, whereby the distance between the said article-receiving device of the front element and the article contacting point of the rear element is variable at will. i

,3. A display easel having a front element arra "ed to be adjusted vertically and formed with devices for receiving the lower edge of the article and preventing it from slipping. and a rear element arranged also to be adjusted from one position to another verticallv and to contact at its upper end with the upper portion of the article and support the same, and united by a sliding conncctiun to the front element, the sliding connection being movable vertically, whereby 1 ing device of the front element and the article-contacting POlltf'Of the rear element, and

will.

'4. A display easel havlng a-generally hor zontal front element adapted to sustain a slipping forward thereon, and a rear elemen having an upright for contacting with and supporting the back part'of the dish or other article, said rear element be ng connected to the front element by a sliding union, and being adapted to be inclined to and supported in either of several positions relative to the vertical, substantially as set forth.

5. A display easel having a front element adapted to sustain a dish or other article, and provided with meal-is to prevent the dish from slipping forward, and a rear elenected with the front element bya sliding union, and adjustable to either of several positions relative to the vertical, and also adjustable to either of several positions forward and back relative to the front clement, substantially as set forth.

6. A display easel having a front elementwith vertically adjustable side bars for 5118- taining a dish or other article, and a rearele- 1ncnt having its dish sustaining part adjustableforward and back in relation to the front elqnent, and a movable uniting device hetwcen the front element and the rear elcment arranged to be adjusted from one position to a notl1er, substantially as set forth.

7. A display easel having a front element arranged i to"- be adjusted vertically and formed with devices for receiving the lower edge of the article and preventing it from slipping, and a rear element arranged also to be adjusted from one position to another vertically and to contact at its upper end with the upper portion of the article and support the same, and united by a sliding connection to the front element, the sliding connection being movable vertically, whereby the inclination of the article is variable at will.

8. A display easel having a rear element formed of a wire or metal strip bent to pro vide two vertical legs and the supporting feet, one at the bottom of each leg, and the front element formed of a wire or strip bent to provide the side bars, the table engaging support or feet, and the cross connecting device between the side bars, and the adjustable connecting device between the front element and the rear element, substantially as set forth.

9. A display case]. having a front element. formed with side bars b, b, a cross connecting bar 0 and table en aging feet or supports 0,

l a rear element having vertical legs and table i engaging feet, and means for ad usting the l theinclination of the article, are variable at dish or other ar iele and .to prevent it fronr mcnt against which the article bears con- .lOt

Ill

the distance between the said article-rcceivside bars of the front element to either of 1 several positions on the legs of the rear element, substantially as set forth.

10. A display easel having a rear element formed of a wire bent to have legs a connected at the top, said element being adapted 'to be adjusted to either of several positions in relation to the vertical, and a front element having side bars, a cross connecting bar and a table engaging support, said side bars being adustably connected to the rear element and adapted to be inclined to difi'erent positions corresponding to the differing positions of the rear element, substantially as set forth.

11. A display easel having in combination elements A and B, the element B being arranged to be moved upward and downward around its front ends as a center into either of several ositions, and the element A being arrange to be moved simultaneously forward and backward respectively relative to the element B into either of several pos tions, the said elements during such adjustment being permanently united togetherby sliding connections, substantially as set forth.

12. A display easel having a front element for contacting with and supporting the lower part of the article, and a rear element for contacting with and supporting the u per part of the article, the rear end of the ront element being verticallyslidably connected 

